Postal voting has been judged an unqualified success in the 2002 local elections, boosting turnout by an average of 28% in areas where it was trialled.

Turnout

Postal voting +28%

E-voting +5%

Online voting +1%

No experiment +4%

Senior figures indicated that the idea could now be rolled out to other parts of the country, although ministers are waiting for a report assessing the impact of postal votes from the Electoral Commission by the end of July.

Meanwhile, online voting was less of a success producing just a 1% increase in turnout.

Overall turnout was up about 4% on the 2000 local elections.

'Too early to say'

The all-postal vote in Stevenage Borough saw 52.9% of the electorate taking up their democratic right to vote, compared with 29% in 2000.

And turnout in the all-postal ballot at Havering Borough, east London, was 46%.

Asked whether postal ballots could be used more in parliamentary polls, a Downing Street spokesman said: "It is too early to say what impact postal ballots will have on future elections."

A move to widescale postal ballots would need legislation.

Reversal of fortunes

Postal voting was among a raft of measures tried out to make it easier for people to cast their vote.

I would be surprised if in local elections there are not more postal ballots next time around

Charles ClarkeLabour Party chairman

Labour Party chairman Charles Clarke added his voice to those welcoming the apparent success of the system.